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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ground — a position
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — the earth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — a match
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rash — hasty
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kid — child
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. snap — to click
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com